A tanker truck crashed on a curve on U.S. Highway 550 near Red Mountain Pass.

Photo courtesy of Silverton Standard

A tanker truck crashed on a curve on U.S. Highway 550 near Red Mountain Pass.

A truck driver was killed early Monday in a rollover about 3 miles northwest of Silverton.

The crash resulted in temporary closures throughout the day along a section of U.S. Highway 550 on the south side of Red Mountain Pass while a tow company removed the truck.

The truck driver was identified as Donald Ray Inskeep, 55, of Grand Junction.

The crash occurred about 5:30 a.m. near mile marker 72.7, a few miles northwest of Silverton, said Trooper Jonathan Silver of the Colorado State Patrol.

The 1994 tractor-trailer was southbound down a 4 percent grade on a section of road that has several curves, Silver said. The truck went off the right side of the road and rolled onto its passenger side, he said. It came to rest down a 20-foot embankment in pine and aspen trees.

“It wasn’t much of a drop,” Silver said.

Inskeep was talking and seemed to be doing OK after the crash, Silver said, but a short time later, medics had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation before pronouncing him dead.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation Monday; there were no skid marks leading to the crash, Silver said. Inskeep was using a seat belt, he said.

“The cab portion where he was seated actually fared pretty well in the crash,” Silver said.

The truck was carrying magnesium chloride, which is used to prevent ice on roads and is not considered a hazardous material, Silver said.

Highway 550 was expected be cleared of wreckage later Monday, he said.